Cosmic Love
by DiamondHeartbreaker
Summary: Poe Dameron's ship has suddenly shut down and is falling into the atmosphere of a nearby planet, rendering Poe helpless. He later awakens to discover he has been saved by a girl with abilities crucial to aiding the Resistance. As he attempts to recruit her, the two become fast friends. However, as they push forward, it's clear they are meant to be something more. Poe x OC, Post-TFA
1. Crass Landing

"BB-8, scan for a malfunction source!" Poe demanded as he frantically flipped switches in the cockpit of their small freighter. "We're running out of options here."

BB-8 blooped rapidly before releasing several cables to stabilize himself on the increasingly shaking ship; his scanner emerging quickly after. Poe Dameron had been dispatched to make a quick but vital supply run for the Resistance. He was on his way back when the ship's navigational controls locked up while passing through the Grizmalt system and auto-released him from hyperspace. In a matter of moments, Poe's ship was unresponsive, burning through every trick he knew, and quickly being dragged in by Grizmalt's gravitational pull. Flames licked the ship as BB-8 and Poe hurdled helplessly towards the surface of the ecumenopolis planet below.

"I'm gonna try and pull the main circuit router," Poe shouted to his droid friend. Struggling against the increasing g-forces, he trudged his way towards the back of the cockpit. Adrenaline was pulsing through his veins and he could feel each panicked beat of his heart. Though Poe practically lived for those feelings as an indulgent but courageous pilot, he was less than comfortable with his current situation. BB-8 bleeped sadly, reporting that he could not find a source of the malfunction. "It's okay, buddy," Poe reassured him. He had reached the router and was working on removing the cover. "Hopefully this will do something to-"

Suddenly, Poe was thrown to the front of the cockpit as a rudder detached from the ship and jilted it downwards. Flames engulfed the entirety of the freighter and Poe was out cold on the navigational panel. BB-8 hummed solemnly as they spiraled towards the surface.

Slowly, Poe awoke, the darkness of his vision dissipating into light. There was a pounding in his head and his shoulders ached terribly. Groaning, he pushed himself onto his elbows and scoped out his surroundings. Two beds, two closets, one door.

"Bleep, woop beep!"

Poe looked down to see BB-8 happily whizzing around. "Hey bud, what happened?"

BB-8 bloop beeped rapidly.

"What do you mean saved? By what? Wait, BB-8 slow down," Poe threw the covers off himself and slid his legs out over the side of the bed. "Wait, did they change my clothes?"

Before he could answer, a mechanical click sounded and the bedroom door slid open. In the threshold stood a skinny, slickly dressed man. He had a dark, thick fade and a chameleon like stare.

"Ah, I see you're finally awake." He walked in and sat on the bed opposite Poe.

"Where am I?" Poe questioned. "And who are you?"

The man laughed deeply. "Well you're sitting in the dormitories of what happens to be the finest theatre on this side a' Grizmalt. I'm Kamil Bonto, the owner and manager." He reached out to Poe and handed him a holocard. "And you very nearly destroyed this fine establishment with your poorly piloted ship last night."

"Well, I'm sorry about that," Poe chuckled nervously. "But my droid, BB-8, said someone saved us from crashing; was that you?"

Kamil shook his head. "No, no, not me. While I may be an artistic genius, I certainly don't have necessary skills to pull that off. Actually, it was your absent… roommate." He patted the messy bed he sat on. "Her name's Moira. And you're lucky her last roommate called it quits, or else you would have had to sleep in the master bedroom with me." He winked at the pilot.

"It was just one person? This, Moira? Last thing I remember, the ship was spiraling out of control, I was unconscious… How did she-"

"Ugh, you ask so many questions," Kamil cut him off. "Let me just show you." He removed a small device from his pocket and turned on a holoscreen in-front of the door. "It's been playing on the news frequencies non-stop, I'm sure I can find it on one of these." He flipped through a few stations. "Ah, here it is."

A report was playing with the headline 'Dancer saves theater and arts district from fiery freighter of death'.

"Well, that's a little overdramatic," Poe hushed under his breath. BB-8 bleeped in agreement.

The report then cut to a witness-submitted video showing the ship falling out of the sky towards, what Poe assumed to be, the theater. People were running and panicking; but with the freighter less than a klick out, it suddenly slowed down and stabilized. Each moment, the ship became slower and slower until it was shakily levitating over a landing platform attached to the theater. The video then zoomed in on the freighter, revealing a girl nearby, arms extended and back to the camera. Slowly, she lowered her arms, and with them, the freighter. After carefully, setting it down she collapsed to her hands and knees as fire-mechs and med droids arrived.

A sudden chill spread all over his body. Poe's minds quickly jumped to conclusions and he wondered if it could really be possible.

"Yeah, that's that." Kamil said, shutting off the holoscreen. "They put the fire out on that freighter of yours and everything seems to be fine. You're just lucky we didn't let the droids take you to a medcenter for an overnight stay. Those things will run ya' a thousand credits. Plus, I'm not one to turn down a beautiful man who needs to stay overnight."

Poe shook his head in disbelief. "This is crazy, but I think I've made sense of it. Why the freighter malfunctioned, why we got pulled in, why we didn't crash and burn. We've gotta talk to her, BB-8." Poe suddenly jumped towards Kamil, putting his hands on smaller man's shoulders.

"Whoa, slow down there, pretty boy," Kamil insisted in a lackluster manner.

"Where I can find her? I need to speak with her immediately." He was practically shaking the man.

"Jeez, yeah. Take a left outta here, go down to the bottom of the stairs, and then a big doorway. You can't miss it. But she's in the middle of a rehearsal!"

"We'll we might just have to interrupt. Let's go, BB-8!" Poe was quickly out the door, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. Having another Force user could be a great asset to the Resistance. Just as he knew it could be a great asset to the First Order.

Poe could feel himself sticking out as soon as he walked into the theater. The dozens of performers were draped in colorful robes, most sitting elegantly in the audience. Two, a young man and a young woman, danced together on stage while an orchestra played behind them. The dancing was utterly mesmerizing. It was so beautiful and intimate that Poe almost felt bad that he was about to ruin it. _Almost_.

"Uh, excuse me!" Poe talk-shouted, attempting to be heard above the music. Several of the performers turned around to look at him questionably. "Hello, I'm, uh, looking for someone!" Poe looked around, hoping for some kind reaction, but the rehearsal continued. Thankfully, BB-8 let out a high pitched, ear-piecing shriek that made even Poe cringe, and halted the performance.

"What do you think you're doing, coming in here and interrupting our rehearsal?" The male dancer shouted at Poe, puffing out his skinny chest and waltzing hurriedly to the front of the stage. "We've got a show in under a week we've got to be ready for!"

"Yeah, uh, sorry…" Poe chuckled nervously, walking closer to the stage. "I'm looking for someone. A girl named Moira?" The female dancer on stage walked forward, squinting at him.

"Oh! It's you!" She said, her eyes widening. "I'm Moira."

"It's you? What do you mean, 'it's you'? Who in the hell is this guy and why does he think he can interrupt us?" Complained the male dancer. "Don't tell me this another loser you slept with."

"Wow, really, thank you, Nikoli. Always a pleasure." Moira jumped off the stage and walked towards Poe. "No, he's not some random man I've had an affair with. He's the pilot from last night." A small murmur developed in the room and Poe felt even more out of place than before. "I think the droid there mentioned your name was… Poe?"

"Poe Dameron. It's nice to meet you." The two shook hands.

"It's nice to meet the _conscious_ you, Mr. Dameron," she smiled cheekily. "How are you doing? Something I can help you with?"

Poe's demeanor became more rigid. "I need to speak with you. Privately, if possible. It's urgent."

She glanced hesitantly towards the stage before nodding. "Sure. Of course. Guys," she addressed her cast mates. "I need to take care of something. I'll be back as soon as I can. Run the number from the third act if you want instead!" She turned back to Poe. "Now hurry out of here, before Nikoli blows another gasket."

Moira sat down across from Poe at a table in the lobby. She was fair skinned and bright eyed. Most of her hair was dark brown but the underside of it was bright red.

"First off," he looked her straight in the eyes. "I wanted to thank you, for saving my life." BB-8 blooped beside him, throwing his name in too.

"You're both welcome. I'm glad I was able to," Moira smiled faintly. "But I mostly did it to stop your freighter from killing my friends and, you know, destroying my home."

"That's basically what I figured," Poe admitted.

"And, I actually have a question for you." she continued. "Once you were grounded, we examined your ship to find everything in working order. The outside sustained damage from the atmosphere, but overall it was fine. How did you so wildly lose control of such a user-friendly ship? I don't wanna call you reckless but are you a new pilot? Or perhaps an amateur smuggler?"

BB-8 bloop beeped angrily next to Poe.

"The best pilot in the galaxy?" she exclaimed at BB-8. "Droid, he nearly turned this place into a crater!"

"BB-8, it's okay," Poe reassured him. "That leads into what I wanted to talk about. Now, what I'm about to say might seem crazy, but just hear me out." Poe scooted closer to her and rested his elbows on the table between them. "I'm a great pilot, that I can promise you. I used to be a commander in the New Republic Starfleet." BB-8 rendered a hologram of his identification but Moira still looked weary. "If you don't believe me, well, I'm pretty sure Grizmalt is part of the New Republic. You could go to any government building and access public records of my missions.

"So, if there's anything I know how to do, it's how to fly. These days, I fly for the Resistance. BB-8 and I were on our way back from a mission when we suddenly got pulled out of hyperspace in _your_ system. The ship stopped responding to commands and we were dragged in by Grizmalt's gravitational pull. Moira, never, in all my years of flying, have I experienced a situation like I did yesterday."

"Okay, this is quite the story, but what are you really getting at here?"

"Now stay with me, but, I think I was meant to find you. I think that something guided me here."

She nodded slowly, signaling for him to go on.

"Moira… you're a Force user, aren't you?" Poe smiled. "That's how you stopped the freighter, that's how you saved the theater and it's how you saved my life."

"You know of the Force?" she asked excitedly, leaning in. "I've never met someone else who knows of it, let alone, acknowledges what it can do." Her eyes were bright with curiosity and hunger.

"I know of it's great power. And I know that those who wield it can do amazing things." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I think the Force made this happen. I think it drew me here on purpose- to find you."

Moira looked speechless, a mix of bewilderment and, what Poe hoped was, excitement. "Look, I've always known that the Force was something unique about me, but I've had it since I was a kid. Why now?" she asked.

"That I don't know. But, listen," he leaned in closer to her. "I have a friend right now who is training in the ways of the Force… with Luke Skywalker."

"Luke Skywalker? Luke Skywalker. The Jedi?"

Poe nodded.

"Alright cool. Casual. You just casually know Jedi even though they're supposedly extinct," her voice was shaking a bit, as she raced through words. "And I'm just supposed to believe you? Believe that Luke Skywalker is a real person? Let alone a real, living, Jedi person?"

"He's as real as you and me." Poe smiled slyly. "And I know others who know of the Force too. People who could guide you, who could teach you."

"So… so, what?" she stood and paced back and forth besides the table. "You're offering to train me to become, what… like… a Jedi?"

"I'm not saying you have to," Poe assured her. "And I can't even promise that it would happen, or that you would become a Jedi at all. But Force users are extremely rare. Especially those powerful enough to stop a wild ship from crashing into a planet. If someone like that, someone like you, joined the Resistance it could very possibly turn the tide of this war."

"I just… That's a lot to think about." She slouched back onto her chair. "You're basically asking me to leave my entire life behind and run off with you to fight for some cause that might kill me. Is this a normal thing for you?"

Poe exhaled and shook his head. "I know. I know that this is a lot for you, but there's also something else you should know."

"Oh, great," she murmured.

"I'm not saying you _have to_ come with me and join the Resistance, but… I don't think you can stay here. I think, you'll need to leave."

"Excuse me?" She stood up and looked down at him, brows furrowed. "What do you mean I can't stay here? My whole life is here! My friends, my work, my entire-"

"I know, Moira. But listen to me." He stood and lightly grasped her arms. "That footage of you that's playing on all the news frequencies? You're gonna get a lot of attention for it. And some of it's going to be from the wrong people. Particularly the First Order. And, Moira, I know the First Order. They will come looking for you here. If you're lucky, they'll just take you. If not…" He paused, eyes heavy.

"What?"

"They'll kill you." Poe felt goose bumps run down her bare arms.

Moira collapsed back into her chair and stared at the ground, mouth agape. Poe could not help but feel responsible. Moira had only done the right thing, and now, in her mind, she was being punished for something she could have never expected.

"No, I just started my life..." she took in a gulp of air.

BB-8 chimed inquisitively at her.

"No, no this… this just can't be happening." She began wiping tears away with the heel of her palm. "I've worked my entire life to get where I am. This is what I've always wanted. And now, I'm finally the lead dancer in the company, I'm starring in a show and I just," she swallowed sharply. "I have to quit?"

"Moira, I'm so, so sorry…" Poe began.

"No, it- it's not your fault," she managed between sobs, wiping her face. "It's just, yesterday every- everything was fine and perfect and suddenly it's just this big fucking mess that wants to kill me." She shook her head "I've always known that this thing was both a blessing and a curse and I wish I just didn't have it at all, but what can I fucking do?"

Poe reached out and took her hands, looking on sympathetically.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry," she chuckled sadly. "This must just seem so shallow to you. You're some kind of freedom fighter who go outs and risks his life for others and I'm having a meltdown because I can't be a ballerina, like I'm some- some child."

"Don't think that for a second that I feel that way." Poe grasped her hands tighter. "That's exactly what I'm out there fighting for- the right for everyone to live their life freely. And I'm sorry this is happening to you. But, Moira, what I saw in that video is exactly what you just described. I saw a girl who risked her life to save the lives of others. I saw someone selfless and strong. I saw a hero."

Moira blushed a bit and pulled away to wipe off her face. "Thanks, but I'd still rather be a ballerina."

Poe chuckled and she gave him the faintest smile in return. She let out one last quiet sob before slowly returning to a calmer state. Poe sat back in his chair and thought for a moment.

"Moira, when I was younger, all I wanted was to be a pilot for the New Republic. It was the only thing I wanted and the only thing I cared about in the entire galaxy. And then, one day, I look down and I'm sitting in the cockpit of my own X-Wing, commanding my own squadron, and flying for the New Republic. I was a decorated pilot quickly climbing up the ranks. I had gotten what I wanted. And suddenly, I was so grateful that I had gotten there while I was still young; I was thankful that I hadn't spent my entire lifetime on the one goal. Because it was all so… artificial, to me. I hadn't realized that the whole time I was just trying to fill this… hole in me with these artificial and bureaucratic things.

"I know we're different people, on different paths, but please just think about what I said. For now, I need to go check on the freighter and update my base." Poe stood and extended his hand to her once again. "I'll need to leave here before your midday sunset. I'd love to have your company on the ship. But, if not, it was a pleasure meeting you, Moira."

She stood and grasped his hand firmly. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Dameron."

He gave her one final smile before heading off towards the freighter with BB-8 in tow. Moira sat back down, still taking in the entire situation.

"Oh, one last thing," he said, quickly spinning around. "BB-8 just wanted to let you know that our ship a.k.a. the freighter you landed? Well, it's on platform 4-A. You know, just in case you didn't remember." He winked and then disappeared down the corridor, but not before she heard him whisper to BB-8 "I have no idea where I'm going but we can't turn around now, I hope you can access a map."

" BB-8, it's nearly sunset and she's not here." Poe said to his droid, finishing a third polish on the freighter's new rudder.

BB-8 bloopity bleep blooped sadly.

"I know buddy, I was really hoping she'd come too. But we've really gotta get these supplies back to base. Hopefully with no more unexpected excursions." He jumped down and wiped his hands off on a nearby rag. "If she's not here in the next five, I think we'll have to leave without her."

BB-8 blooped blippin bloopied.

"Oh, come on BB-8, I don't want her to come just because I think she's pretty. I just gave her a mental break down and so shoot me if I feel a little responsible for her well-being now."

BB-8 blooped with laughter.

"Just get your little droid body on board," Poe jokingly commanded, as BB-8 rolled up into the ship. He sighed and leaned against the ship as the sun slowly sank over the horizon of Grizmalt. "Guess that's that."

"Hey, Mr. Dameron!"

He turned to see Moira walking towards him, with several bags floating alongside her. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail and ,to Poe's surprise, she was smiling brightly. "I see you've finally decided to join us," he teased.

"I decided," she corrected him. "To take a risk. This better be one hell of an adventure, Mr. Dameron."

He smiled. "Oh that, I can promise."


	2. Insomnia

Author's Note: I'm still adjusting to FFNet formatting so I've hopefully made time jumps/perspective jumps a bit clearer in this one. As always, thanks for reading and enjoy!

Two weeks into her new life and Moira was adjusting fairly well. Life was different from what she imagined, but unexpectedly enjoyable. General Organa was receptive and offered to share what she knew of the Force. Otherwise, Moira was thrust into training for everything and anything from flight to strategy to blasters. Basically, she ended up with whoever could lend the time that day. Among all the fast faces and new names, were Jessika Pava, X-Wing pilot, and Finn, former Stormtrooper. Both quickly became her new friends, in addition to the illustrious pilot, Poe Dameron.

Each day, Moira grew more convinced that Poe was actually the great pilot he swore to be. There wasn't a single person on the base who didn't speak highly of him or that couldn't regale a story of his daring exploits. She learned he was actively stationed on a Resistance star cruiser several systems away, so his appearances on base were few. However, whenever Poe _was_ around, he made sure to check up on her and ask how things were going. But it had been a busy several days.

Moira laid in bed, desperately trying to sleep, when her low point finally hit. She was homesick. Not for her old bed or luxuries, but for the people she regarded as family. For the people to which her only goodbye was a series of snot and tear covered notes hastily crammed under electronic doorways. She hoped they all missed her like she was missing them.

Knowing her emotions were only hindering her sleep, she headed out for a walk to clear her mind.

One thing Moira didn't miss was the filth and noise of Grizmalt. She was grateful to see so many trees in one place and to breath air that didn't feel artificially filtered. In addition, the living quarters all overlooked a small lake. On one side of the lake, sat their settlement and on the other, miles of unadulterated of forest. She paused her walk for a moment to look on as a small woodland creature scampered out and drank from the lake.

"Moira?"

She jumped and turned to see Poe walking towards her dressed in his orange flight suit jumper and holding a metal crate. BB-8 followed close behind.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh no, it's fine," she said, regaining her composure. "I'm just easily startled… which I hear is a bad trait for a Jedi to have."

"I don't think you need to worry about that quite yet. But I like where your spirit's at." He put down his box with a heavy thud. "So are you here to welcome me?"

Her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"You're standing outside my new quarters." He motioned to the doorway she was nearly leaning against. "I just got transferred back to base."

"Oh, really, you did? Then yeah, I'm definitely here on purpose. To… greet and welcome and such."

Poe laughed. "Well, I'm at least glad it was you who volunteered for this 0300 greeting party and not Admiral Ackbar. But really," He took a seat on his crate. "Why are you out here so late?"

"I couldn't sleep," she admitted, running a hand through her hair. "I guess I'm feeling lonely. I miss my friends. I miss dancing."

Poe looked at her despondently, a frown forming on his face. "Moira… I'm sorry, I-"

"No, it's okay, just one of those nights, y'know?" She shook her head. "Anyways, I'm sure you have a lot of unpacking to do so I'll leave you to it." Moira smiled and started past Poe, headed to her own quarters.

BB-8 beep whizzed quietly at Poe who gently kicked him in return.

"Yeah, yeah, I know buddy," he muttered under his breath. Poe cleared his throat. "Hey, Moira?"

She stopped and turned, looking at him inquisitively.

"Would you mind keeping me company while I unpack? If I don't have supervision, my stuff will stay in this box for a week."

She smiled. "Alright, Mr. Dameron."

All of the individual residencies on base were situated the same way: bed in the back, living space and holotech in the front, and a small bathroom off to the side. Despite the shabbiness they might hold to the average eye, Poe Dameron had always found them cozy- especially after months of living in the cramped quarters of a star cruiser. After hanging his parent's wedding picture up, he couldn't imagine what could make it closer to home.

"What… what is _this?_ "

Poe turned around to see a cross-legged Moira fidgeting with the same thing that always ended up at the bottom of his 'moving' box: a grey, amorphous fabric.

"I… I think it's a chair… of some kind."

Moira looked down at the 'chair' then back at him and then back at the 'chair'. "…what?"

"It's kind of a long story," he warned her.

"It's only," she checked her holocard. "Quarter past 0400, I've got nowhere to be.".

"Alright, you asked for it." Poe sat down across from her and stretched out his back and arms before beginning. "When I served the Republic, I commanded my own squadron – four fighters, including me. One night, I went out drinking with one of them and I ended up getting way too drunk. Apparently, I danced on some tables, threatened some droids, and tried to take my clothes off in the bar. Then I hit my wall and passed out in this weird thing." He motioned to the chair. "I was so drunk that I had wrapped the chair around me and wouldn't let go, no matter how hard my friend tried to pull me out. So Muran, my buddy, buys the chair off the bartender, wraps me up in it like a body bag, and then carries me all the way back to the Republic barracks like that. The next day, the whole squadron shows up to my quarters early in the morning, while I'm still very hung over, and they congratulate me on my service by giving me this 'chair'. And then, Muran makes this dramatic speech, saying how much I mean to him and ends it by asking me to pay for the char. I was pissed at the time, but looking back, it was pretty hilarious. So I've basically got this chair that I begrudgingly paid for and don't know how to use, but have taken everywhere with me since that night."

For a good minute the two sat and laughed with each other.

"I can't even imagine you drunk, let alone dancing on tables drunk," Moira managed to get out while settling down.

Poe chuckled. "It was definitely the drunkest I've ever been. I'm pretty sure Muran told everyone in our division."

"I would have too." Moira smiled. "Muran sounds like a fun guy."

Poe looked down at the chair and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah he was."

"Hm, then let's see what we can do with this."

Using the Force, Moira carefully pulled the chair upwards, rotating and unweaving until it all amounted to one evenly folded crescent shape. She then expanded out the bottom and neatly attached the stabilization mechanism to an above rafter. It ended up looking like a hybrid chair and a hammock but, with more enclosure. For a moment, the two sat in silence simply admiring its complicated simplicity.

"It is quite the chair."

"Moira," Poe's voice suddenly deepened and lost its lackadaisical tone. "You're amazing. Thank you." He reached out and squeezed her hand.

"It was nothing, Mr. Dameron." She replied, face flushed. "Up for round two with your chair?"

"Ladies first. But please," begged Poe. "I think we're at the level where you can call me by my first name."

"Eh, maybe," she winked at him settling into the chair. "I can see why you fell asleep in this thing."

"Comfy?" Poe asked, moving onto his bed.

"Very," Moira drawled, as she slowly rotated in the suspended chair. "I feel like a baby in a womb."

Poe laughed. "Speaking of which, can I ask you something?"

"Go for it. But first," she paused dramatically. "Do you have an extra blanket?"

Poe chuckled and tossed her one off his dresser. He laid down on his bed and tucked his arms behind his head. "Tell me, when did you learn to use the Force?"

"Well, there wasn't really a specific day or moment when I could suddenly use it. The Force was closer to something that's just always been a part of me. My father was very much about feeling and flowing with the Force, even before I was born. So when my abilities began manifesting physically, he started meditating with me every day, and teaching me balance and discipline. For a while, I just thought it was a natural thing that everyone went through. Because, you know as a kid, you don't give a second thought to how you are until someone else tells you you're weird or special or strange."

"That's true enough," Poe chimed in, thinking of his own peculiar childhood.

"In retrospect, I think my father knew the dangers my abilities could put me in. He made sure I understood the repercussions of using them irresponsibly. Made sure I respected the Force for what it was." Her voice grew somber. "But really, I had no clue how extreme the risks were until you showed up. Never thought someone would want to kill me over my powers."

"Moira, I really can't tell you how sorry I am," Poe admitted. "I interrupted your life and put you in danger you didn't ask for and-"

"Poe?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up. Stop trying to blame yourself for something that was out of your control. Yeah, I never expected something like this to happen. Yeah, sometimes I miss my old life. But Poe…" She paused to yawn. "I actually like it here a lot. I've met tons of new people and started doing new things. I feel, I dunno…" her voice trailed off. "I feel like I'm helping something bigger. I feel important," she whispered.

Poe couldn't help but smile. She had described the same emotion he felt when he had left the Republic to join the Resistance. Poe had been through a lot of things since he became a pilot - lost a lot of friends and took some hits emotionally. But in the end, it was always worth it to know that he was helping others. To know that he was fighting for freedom and happiness. She understood it. "I'm really glad you came with me, Moira. And that you started using my first name."

After several moments with no response he sat up to see her fast asleep in the chair, cuddling tightly with the blanket.

"Looks like you were finally able to sleep." He stood and walked towards her. "BB-8, what's her room ID?"

BB-8 bleep buzzed sleepily.

"Okay buddy, you go into low power mode and charge up. I'll be right back." Poe Dameron gently lifted Moira out of the chair, careful to keep her wrapped in his blanket. Slowly he headed towards her quarters, carrying her bridal style in his arms.

Poe felt an odd sense of comfort and ease, holding her so close. Though Moira was fast asleep, he felt safe with her.

Once he arrived at her room, Poe walked through the door to find all the furniture had been pushed towards the back wall, surrounding her bed. The front area was rather clear, except for a small pile of dance shoes in the right corner. Poe made his way to her bed and set her down, taking care not to wake her.

He tucked Moira back into his blanket, making sure she was fully covered, and put a small, raggedy plushie from the bottom of the bed by her arms. She gave a small grumble before embracing it.

He playfully rustled her hair and went to leave when he suddenly hesitated, caught between his thoughts and a growing heat in his chest. Poe then turned back to Moira, leaned down, and gently kissed her on the forehead. "Goodnight," he whispered and with that, headed back to his room.


	3. A Little Push

"Now, I've been keeping an eye on your training and I have to say I'm impressed. You've picked up everything rather quickly.

"Thank you, General. I've been trying my best." She and General Organa were walking outside the base headquarters, enjoying a rare, peaceful day on D'Qar. The two had just finished a meditation session and were discussing Moira's future with the Resistance having gone through several weeks of instruction.

"Now, I know you're certainly no soldier and you're still unsure of becoming a Jedi. But with what I've seen, I think it's time we start sending you out on missions."

"Really? What would I be doing? Where would I be going?"

Organa chuckled at her eagerness. "Well, we'd have to do some experimentation to find out where you best fit. But, in my experience, those strong with the Force are usually excellent pilots. In addition to that, I think you'd be particularly skilled at reconnaissance."

Moira shook her head. "This is exciting, but still rather crazy for me. Never in my life did I think I'd be going on secret missions or fighting in a rebellion."

"Well, to be honest, I never did either." Leia smiled fondly at her. "But life is tricky that way."

"General Organa!"

The two turned to see Poe walking towards them casually, helmet still under his arm and life support pack still attached to his signature orange jump suit. His hair was a bit disheveled, but he was smiling.

"Commander." Organa acknowledged.

"I'm happy to report that sectors seven through ten are clear of any activity. It looks like the First Order is still struggling to regroup after what we did to Starkiller base." His eyes darted quickly over to Moira, and back to the General.

"Very good, Commander," stated the Organa. "Please have a full report prepped for today's strategy meeting."

"Of course. Until then, General… Moira." He nodded at both, looking back at Moira for just a moment before heading towards the command center.

General Organa chuckled. "It's quite honorable how the two of you are attempting to maintain professionalism in light of the situation."

"Pardon, General?" Moira asked.

"Oh come, now. I know something's going on between you and Poe. I've seen the way you interact with each other. The way he… he looks at you."

Moira's face flushed "We're… we're just good friends, General. I swear."

"Ah yes," Organa looked on with a dreamy glint in her eye. "I remember when Han and I were just 'good friends'." She smiled at the girl.

Moira sighed and shook her head. "Poe is just… someone I never expected to meet. He's kind and warm and different from the others I've been with. And there have been so many times when I've imagined us together, but…"

"But, what?" Inquired the General.

"We're on the edge of war and things here are hectic and unpredictable. Poe is the best pilot of the Resistance. I don't want to distract him or want things to get in the way of the Resistance or in the way of me training in the Force. And as much as I want to be selfish about the whole situation, I it's just not the right time."

"I see." General Organa turned away, holding her hands behind her back. "I'd like for you to listen to me, my dear."

Moira paced forward to stand straight on with the general.

"This life is nonstop. You never know who's going to live to see another day or who you're going to get the chance to talk to again. It's a hard reality of this life. And even harder is living with regrets of things left unsaid. Even during times of peace, this life keeps going; keeps throwing new challenges into your path. The dull, perfect days were things are easy and long conversations had, are rare treasures that you may never reach. But living to see them is the true gift. What you must decide, my dear, is if you want to spend your life holding out for an ideal moment that you may never get. You must ask yourself how much of this unpredictable life you want to spend waiting. And how much you want to spend regretting."

Moira stood silent, looking on blankly at the general as she thought through her words.

"That's all I will say. Now I must take my leave." She turned and braced Moira's shoulders. "Good luck, my dear."

"Thank you," Moira murmured.

Organa nodded. "May the Force be with you."

* * *

"But, anyways, she said her training with Luke is going great! Said it was the most challenging thing she's ever done, but that it's also so worthwhile." Finn was exstatic to regale his conversation with Rey to Poe who sat next to him at the cantina. Poe knew he'd be hearing about Rey all night, but he didn't mind; he was happy to see his friends happy.

"I'm really glad it's going well. We went through a lot of trouble to get that map together," Poe replied, taking a sip of his ale.

"Oh man, I know," Finn hit Poe playfully on the arm and chuckled. "You're welcome, by the way."

Poe shook his head. "Alright, alright, let's not get too cocky here."

"Fine, fine. But I did save you so…"

Poe rolled his eyes. "And I gave you my jacket so I'd say it was a pretty even trade."

"Yeah yeah, alright Dameron." Finn chuckled and raised his glass. "To Rey becoming a Jedi."

"To Rey," Poe agreed. The two clinked glasses and drank.

"So," Finn smirked knowingly at Poe. "How are things going with Moira?"

Poe groaned and set down his drink. "Not you too, Finn."

"Come on. Look, I'm not exactly the most knowledgeable on girls or dating but even I can tell how obvious it is."

"We're just friends." Poe insisted.

"Yeah, okay," Finn replied sarcastically. He raised his hand and called the bartender over. "A shot of Correllian Whiskey for this guy over here, please."

"No, I can't," Poe pleaded. "I've gotta go on a run to Coruscant in the morning." Despite his protests, the bartender poured out a shot in front of him.

"Well, right now the only thing you've got to to do is spill the beans. So either drink up or fess up." Finn pushed the shot glass towards him.

He took a hard look at the 100 proof whiskey and slightly gagged. "Alright, fine, Finn. You win. I like the girl."

Finn's expression deadpanned. "No shit. Come on, Dameron, tell me something I don't know."

"Such as?"

"Like have you told her how you feel? Have you kissed her? Have you done… you know… 'that'?"

"No, we haven't done 'that'!" Poe felt his face heat up. "We haven't even kissed, let alone talk about whatever is going on between us."

"And why not?"

"Because, she's… I don't know." Poe sat in silence for several moments, "It's hard."

"Alright, well, if you're not gonna drink that, the girl I like isn't even on this side of the galaxy so…" Finn slid the glass away from Poe and quickly downed the shot. "Now I'm gonna give you one more chance to try and explain why you haven't already poured your heart out to our dear Moira. Or else you're doing a speeder bomb with me."

Poe sighed and leaned in towards Finn. "Listen, Finn. I basically ripped Moira out of an entirely different life and threw her into ours."

"Well, that's not really what happened, but continue." Finn mumbled.

"I took her away from her dream life and brought her here for, honestly, pretty selfish reasons. I thought I understood her situation, I thought I knew what I was doing. I never thought about her emotional well-being; I was too concerned with how her Force powers could benefit us. And now, here," he motioned around them. "I'm the person she knows best. I'm the one who gives her advice or introduces her to people she needs to meet. And if I were to make a move on her, with all that sitting in my mind… I would feel like I was taking advantage of her, y'know? Who am I, this person that she trusts, to try and be with her? If she doesn't feel the same, do you know how terrible of a situation I'd be putting her in? I just can't do that. I won't." Poe shook his head and ran a hand through his dark locks.

"So you really have been thinking about it a lot, huh?" Finn asked.

Poe exhaled and slowly nodded his head. His eyes stayed trained on the bar counter.

"Listen Poe," Finn took on a more serious tone. "I can see what you mean by that – I see where you're coming from. But Moira is an adult. She made those decisions herself and you can't keep blaming yourself as if you had forced her to. On top of that, maybe that's how she makes you feel needed when it's just the two of you, but the Moira I know isn't afraid to go up and talk to anyone. If she needs something, she's blunt. She's independent and funny and doesn't need anyone to hold her hand."

"Still," Poe looked on helplessly as the bartender refilled his pint. "What if she just needs me as a friend? I don't wanna ruin that."

"Come on, man. You know the way she looks at you? You think she looks at other people like that? No. Isn't it obvious?"

Poe shrugged.

Finn shook his head before finishing another drink. "You two are so frustrating. I'm gonna tell you something that I probably shouldn't but since both of ya'll are my friends, I'm just gonna do it."

Poe looked up at him, curious and alarmed all at once.

"Moira is so into you, man. Like, we both love you, 'cuz you're great. But when she talks about you she gets all flustered and excited and cute, you know? And whenever I ask her what I just asked you, I get the same bullshit response. So please, Poe, for both of your sakes just get over your stupid excuses and tell her how you feel." Finn raised his hand to call the bartender over once again.

Quickly, Poe swatted his arm down and looked at Finn earnestly. "No. I've got this one." He smiled at Finn with a renewed energy.

* * *

"Alright buddy, almost there," Poe coached Finn along as he held him up by the shoulder. Finn was the drunkest that Poe had ever seen him, which essentially left Poe carrying Finn back to his barrack. Not that it wasn't partially his own fault.

"I jus thing every… everyone deserves to be happily, y'know?" Finn slurred, sniffling a bit.

"I know, Finn. I know," Poe consoled him. "BB-8, the door." The small droid whirred and rolled in front of them, working to unlock Finn's quarters. "Alright, here we go, bud." Poe gently dragged Finn forward until he was able to prop him onto the bed in the back of the room.

"Thang you, Poe." Finn mumbled as he systematically collapsed into the bed. "Lob you, Beeb eight." Moments later, he was sound asleep. BB-8 bleeped inquisitively at Poe.

"No, he said that he loves you," he replied to BB-8.

The droid bleep bippity boop hummed at Poe.

He chuckled. "Yes, I love you too. Let's go home."

BB-8 and Poe were on their way out of Finn's quarters when Poe noticed someone down by the lake. As they ambled further down the hillside, he caught a flicker of red hair in the moonlight. Poe stopped in his tracks.

"BB-8, go ahead on home and go into sleep mode. I'll… I'll be back later." Poe Jumped from the path and onto the slope of the hill.

BB-8 looked down towards the lake before whirring happily and speeding off towards home.

* * *

Moira squinted out at the lake as she watched another one of her rocks plunge into the water without more than one skip. She picked up another stone from the edge of the rocky beach. This time she used the Force to send it flying out. Seven skips. Seven.

"That was a good one."

Taken aback, Moira jumped and attempted to spin around all at once, inadvertently causing herself to loose balance. Solemnly, she accepted the fate endowed to her by her clumsiness and as she fell into the shallow water of the lake.

"Moira!" Poe called out running over to her from the hillside.

She scrunched up in the water, covering her eyes and seemingly shaking.

Without any hesitation, Poe jumped in, intending to help her up. "Moira, are you okay?"

"I can't believe it," she whimpered out.

"What?" Asked Poe. He leaned down and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I... I can't believe I just did that." She started laughing so hard at herself that barely any noise was came out. "That was so dumb." She looked up at Poe with a huge grin on her face and tears in her eyes. "That was just terrible." She shook her head and kept laughing.

Poe couldn't help but reciprocate her smile and contagious laughter. "You nerf-herder," he playfully shoved her. "I thought you had actually hurt yourself for a minute."

"The water's like a foot deep!" Moira exclaimed as she wiped tears from her eyes with even wetter hands. She was still giggling. "I would've had to try really hard."

"Yeah, well, I try not to rule anything out when it comes to you." He winked at her and stood, extending out his hand. "Come on, let me help you up."

Moira smiled slyly at him. "Sure, thanks." She reached out and took his grip only to suddenly pull back, sending him crashing, face first, into the water.

Poe pushed himself upright and shook out his hair. "What was _that_ for?" He yelled.

She continued to smile devilishly at him. "You're the one who snuck up on me. I think this is only fair."

"You brat," he splashed a large wave atop her, soaking anything that had been left dry by her fall.

Moira's mouth fell agape as in surprise. "You're the worst, Poe Dameron!" She yelled before splashing him back, just as extremely.

"Oh no, I'm not having that." Poe thrashed around, trying to make his way closer to her, splashing water every which way.

"No, leave me alone!" Moira exclaimed through more laughter, half-heartedly crawling up the shore.

Poe laughed and easily caught up with her. Gently, he flipped Moira onto her back in the shallow water and pinned her down.

"Oh no, get off of me, you monster!" She exclaimed with the theatrics of an opera diva. She gave him several apathetic splashes before settling beneath him.

The pair smiled and laughed at each other, both soaking wet and a little bit cold, but having fun. When their laughter finally subsided, neither moved. The pair simply stayed still, letting the water gently wash in and out on them as they laid precariously together under the moon. As they looked at each other, the rest of the world seemed to fall away. There was an intensity that neither could quite comprehend or pull away from.

With one hand, Poe carefully pushed Moira's bangs out of her eyes and cupped her face. Moira reached up and covered his hand with her own, drawing his warmth nearer. Slowly, the distance between them lessened until they were but a few inches apart. He hesitated for just a moment, looking on at her with uncertainty.

Moira gently giggled and mouthed 'yes'.

Poe smirked ever so slightly before pressing his lips onto Moira's and diving into what would become the most passionate love affair of their lives.


End file.
